Libyan rebel leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil said in Cairo?on Friday the National Transitional Council (NTC) will move from Benghazi to the capital Tripoli next week.

Libyan rebles

Jalil, chairman of the NTC, made the announcement when speaking to reporters upon his arrival in Benghazi airport from his trip to Paris.

He said the NTC would move its headquarters to Tripoli next week and only a branch of it would stay in the eastern rebel bastion of Benghazi.

The rebels seized Tripoli 10 days ago, sending former strongman Muammar Gaddafi into hiding and putting an end to his 42-year rule. His whereabouts has since not been known.

Not long after the rebels stormed into Tripoli, some NTC members were dispatched to the capital city, with a population of 2 million, to prepare for the move of the NTC headquarters.

Benghazi has served as a de facto government seat for the rebels since the civil war broke out six months ago.